My Daughter's Boyfriend...

Well, I hope Mom & Dad don't mind that this little guy's name is on my blog. It's in one of the pictures so it's hard to keep it a secret. But, there's more to the story. These are good friends of ours - and they live just down the street from us. Most of you know that my daughter's name is Kylie but you might not know that we kept her name a secret until she was born. Well, our friends did the same thing and guess what - we now have Kylie and Kyle - born on the SAME DAY only two hours apart. So, does that mean they are destined to be together???

Kyle and Kylie are both going to be TWO next week - and I just can't believe how fast the time has gone. We did this session just a couple hours ago - but I know how excited Mom gets about her pictures - she gives me a hard time when I don't post new pictures to my blog often enough.

So - SURPRISE - here's a few previews for you. There's so many cute pics and I haven't even gotten through them all yet. But, here's some favorites that jumped out at me.







And, of course, a lollipop shot...


Don't you just LOVE the messy lollipop face??


Mom & Dad want some cute pictures with the other member of their family - Miller. But, it's pretty hard to get a dog and a two-year-old to cooperate for the perfect portrait. This one made me laugh though. I think Kyle is trying to choke him.... :)




And this one made me kind of sad - in a good way. He looks so big and grown up - just walking away on his own little adventure - just like my baby girl....

Love...

I know I have said it before, but it's very refreshing for me to do some sessions with adult subjects. These two were so fun and good sports with me wanting to take pictures all over their house. It's gorgeous - she has a passion for interior design and it shows! Another perk - they live right next door to me - so I didn't even have to drive anywhere! :)

Originally we were just doing a couple head shots of mrs "L" for work - but decided to do a full session with both of them. FUN!







We called this the "Beyonce" shot. The wind was blowing - so it was just like the set of a music video. It helps that she is so photogenic too!

Only 2 Weeks Old....

He's so young, but so awake and soooo sweet. This is a wonderful family and I felt honored that they asked me to do their newborn pictures. We met back in June of last year when they were just a family of three. You can click HERE to see a few of those pics. I feel so lucky to meet all of these wonderful people and to be able to do something so special for them. Documenting life's most precious moments.

We didn't have much luck getting this little guy to sleep, but he was such a good sport anyway. He hardly fussed at all. I know mom is waiting to see a few of these previews - so I hope you enjoy!!



His biggest fans! :)


Aren't her eyes gorgeous? This is one of about three photos I got of her this time. She really wasn't interested in taking pictures. But she did say that I could buy her princess crown since they take 20 hours to make - or I could just borrow it and bring it back on Thursday. So FUNNY! The way their little minds work....




And a sweet moment with mother and son. She looks FABULOUS by the way! I hope I can look that great 2 weeks after my next baby (whenever that may be)! :)


I had to include this one - I just love the silhouette of his feet!

Okay - back to the pictures....

I've had some requests for new posts and pictures. I was letting the contest go for a while - but it's time to get back to some fun pictures! Contest winners will be announced next week.

This session was so fun. They were as sweet as could be and we took lots of pictures. They are excited about baby brother coming soon. I LOVED Mom's decorating style. The house was so light and colorful - it made for some fun pictures.

Just look at these curtains - so pretty! But, not as cute as Mom & Dad! :)

You can click on any of the pictures to see them a little bigger.

This was the hallway - it had such a nice glow with the blue walls and soft white pattern. Mom looked so pretty - I thought the mirror was great!

The whole family....

And this little darling is six years old and such a beauty. She gave me lots of big cheesy smiles, but I really liked this tender moment.

And this one too.....

And, I love the little smirk! She has one blue eye and one hazel/green eye - just gorgeous! Thanks miss "K" for taking pictures with me!

Look at that mouth!

I was trying not to post since I wanted people to see the blog contest and get their votes in - but I couldn't resist this hilarious picture of our little Kylie bear in the snow. She LOVED it! Daddy pulled her around in the sled and she was screaming MORE, MORE!! So cute! This was our first trip to Buffalo in well over a year - so we thought it was time to make the trip up to see Nana and Dzia Dzia (gramma & grampa). We had a wonderful time - and now it's back to work! :)

First Blog Contest

The battle of the LOLLIPOPS!! :)

This is the first of several contests I plan to do this year. I have chosen some cute Lollipop pictures and it's up to YOU to pick your favorite by posting a comment below with the image number you like best. Everyone that votes (if you leave an email) will be entered into a drawing for your choice of a FREE session or a FREE 16x20 print ($100 value). One vote per person please.

The image that gets the most votes will be given to the family in digital format so they can reprint it as many times as they want! :)

Good luck!

(You can click on the image to see it a little bigger).

IMAGE #1


IMAGE #2


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IMAGE #5

Don't read this....

....unless you like cheesy stuff (that's what my husband calls it). He says I write "cheesy stuff" in my blog - but hey - who doesn't love CHEESE????

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. This is such a unique holiday because it means something different to everyone and, even for myself, it's meaning has changed over the years.

When I was a child it was about giving and receiving little valentine cards at school and hoping I would get something "extra special" from the cute boy in my third grade class. When I was single it was a holiday that made me jealous of those who had someone special to celebrate with. When I was dating, Valentine's Day was so full of expectations - the right gift, the right card, the right restaurant, the right words......

This year, I told my husband that we should do a max of $20 for a gift and just have fun. That was it - no expectations. A couple days ago we decided we would just stay home and he said he was going to cook dinner for me - I was sooooo excited! He made a delicious dinner of Southwestern Baked Tilapia and green beans with this FABULOUS topping made of goat cheese, dried cranberries, bacon and bread crumbs. I was amazed. Not just at the dinner (cuz he really doesn't cook often - but he's a master at the grill) but at the thought and effort he put into making a dinner for me.

This was my best Valentine's Day yet. It was just about us, our love for our family and our appreciation for the life we have. It's amazing what happens when you really don't expect it.

So, a big cheers to my husband and best friend! Thank you!!!

And, since he wouldn't let me take a picture of my dinner plate, I took a picture of my gift! It's a really soft fuzzy throw blanket. So cool!





Had to include this. I was laying on the floor trying to take a picture of my blanket and my daughter thought it was picture time, so she layed right in front of me and said "CHEESE!" Howz that for my CHEESY blog!! :)

What a morning!

We played, we crawled in the dirt, we threw leaves, we had costume changes.... so much fun. This is a dear friend of mine and her lovely daughter and wonderful husband. This was my first time doing "official" pictures with them so I took WAY too many!! AND, this is the most pictures I have ever posted in my blog from one session - but it's so hard to choose!

The first one is my very favorite - it's just one of those moments. Don't you wonder what she's thinking?

Enjoy!!



The ballerina...


YEE-HAW!!












Love, sweet love!


This is just so sweet! I love the smiles! :)

Another post wedding session

I had a wonderful session today with these two newlyweds. I must say, it's so much fun to take wedding pictures without the pressure of the actual wedding! They were really sweet and such troopers because it was a bit windy and chilly. We had a great time!

Here's a few previews....

( Click on this to see it bigger )




Isn't she gorgeous???






And, for fun - AUBURN HATS! :)

It's a small world

Several years ago, Gina helped my friend and I find our first house! She's a realtor and you can visit her website if you like: www.ginabridges.com

It's amazing how the world connects, and you just never know what will bring you together again. She asked me to help her with new pictures for her website and marketing materials - and I haven't seen her forever. So, I'm glad that my new career can bring me back in touch with old friends!

Now, don't you just want to buy (or sell) your house with her? :)





And one with her husband - aren't they sweet?! :)

Just for fun

Sometimes life gets going so fast, you forget to just have fun. I was getting Kylie out of bed this morning and she was in a great mood and she pointed to her little angel/butterfly wings in the closet. So, instead of distracting her so we could get dressed and go, I put them on her - along with her little tu-tu skirt. She was so proud! The mittens were her idea - but I think they match the outfit great! I asked her if she wanted tme to take her picture and she said yes (which is a rare word in our house these days) so I took a few pics while the moment lasted. And now, I have it forever....... my little angel! :)

You can click on it to see it better.